Upcoming Events

The Bio-Energy Center will be conducting our ABCs of Biodiesel Workshop at the MSU-Billings College of Technology on January 7th, 2010. It will take place from 9am to 4pm. For more information on this workshop, you can contact Elizabeth Porch.

Previous Events

Our series of workshops are over for 2009, but we plan on hosting many of them again in the future.

• The ABCs of Biodiesel

  2 day workshop, last held September 4 & 5, 2009
• A ground-level introduction to the fundamentals of biodiesel; everything you want to know about biofuels, but were afraid to ask! Basic chemistry involved in biodiesel production will be discussed including reaction, catalysis, and purification techniques. Participants will prepare biodiesel from different oil seeds in the laboratory and will be introduced to basic technique of chromatographic detection of biodiesel by TLC. Click here for more information.
  • Introduction to biodiesel
  • Chemistry of biodiesel production
  • Lab scale biodiesel production
  • Biodiesel demonstration

• Pressing Oils & Feedstock Analysis

  2 day workshop, last held September 11 & 12, 2009
• An introduction to various technologies for obtaining oils from seeds and other biomass, their benefits and drawbacks. Discussion of types of feedstocks used for biodiesel production. This session will include a short demonstration of MSU-Northern’s oil press. Oilseed crop for energy production.
  • Feedstock for biodiesel production
  • Feedstock quality and testing
  • Pre-treatment

• Process Engineering

  3 day workshop, last held September 24-26, 2009
• An introduction to industrial scale biodiesel production technology, including the principles and purpose of all operations involved. Various engineering designs of producing biodiesel, including conventional and non-conventional technologies, will be discussed as well. There will be a a short discussion of the MSUN biodiesel processor, then participants will have three days to process a 50 gal. batch of biodiesel.
  • Basic unit operations in biodiesel production
  • Engineering designs
  • Experience in actual biodiesel production
  • Biodiesel demonstration

• Quality Control & Testing

  2 day workshop, last held October 2 & 3, 2009
• Participants will be introduced to biodiesel quality and testing, and how it relates to performance. Basic operations and protocols for biodiesel testing using different equipment will be demonstrated. The principles behind each equipment’s operation will also be discussed. Participants will gain hands-on experience analyzing and testing the biodiesel they produced in accordance to ASTM methodologies.
  • Specifications for B100 & biodiesel blends
  • Performance as it relates to quality
  • Hands-on experience in Northern’s Fuel Chemistry Lab
  • Biodiesel quality control

• Safety and Hazmat Training

  1 day workshop, last held October 23, 2009
• An introduction to hazardous materials handling for oil and fuels. Participants received OSHA and EPA Certification for completing the workshop.
  • Biodiesel storage & handling
  • Methanol storage and handling
  • Waste water
  • Fire regulations
  • Emergencty hazmat response

• Fuel Performance & Testing with AVL North America

  3 day workshop, last held November 17-19, 2009
• This session includes a lecture and discussion on the fundamentals of diesel engines, a discussion on engine design technologies in relation to federal and state regulations, with an emphasis on exhaust emissions, and a discussion on EPA regulated and non-regulated gases, including their environmental and human health impacts. The lecture sessions will be followed by a tour of The MSU-Northern Engine Performance Facilities, and an overview of performance test protocols. With the assistance of MSU-Northern Staff, participants will conduct actual testing of biodiesel, biodiesel blend and diesel fuel using Northern’s Small Engine Test Cell, and exhaust emission monitoring using Northern’s SESAM FT-IR Analyzer. Participants will be introduced to the use of basic statistics as a tool in data analysis and interpretation, as well data presentation. Click here for more information.
  • Diesel fuel vs biodiesel performance
  • Testing using a dynamometer
  • Diesel fuel and biodiesel emissions
  • EPA and non-EPA regulated gases
  • Fuel measurements
  • Data treatment and reporting